Footwear - some thoughts

[TTSX]

I've been a big fan of my keens. They're about done, literally coming apart at the seams but man, their life was rough.

Great thread! I'm in the market again

 

[Alexx1401]

When I was working construction used to love RedWings. They were pricey but seemed to last well. Now for the last decade or so most of my footwear is Magnum. Boots for winter, shoe's for summer. Can order them online and they always fit well. Do not last well but since I do not put the kind of mileage I used to they work great. When inside and or soles start to show wear I just buy another. Often wear them for as far as 16 hours a day and feet feel great when done. Rest of body is ready to call it but feet seem fine

 

[eldbillbo]

I think the key is finding a good durable all weather boot that you can walk miles in without hurting.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I wear alpine climbing boots almost exclusively! We were issued a cross climbing boot in the service that would work as a regular service boot as well as a jump boot, as we were expected to be able to go anywhere at any time, the climbing boots made the the only solution we could come up with! Having tried them all, we settled on Salewa boots, specifically the M2 Pro Vertical series, and now that they are discontinued, the Vulture series of Vertical boots! These are very well insulated, super stiff foot bed, and water proof to the ankle cuff. They also will outlast any other boot I have ever tried! I buy them in pairs ( at around $700 for 2 pairs) but they are well worth it for the performance! They are also very well armored, with a puncture proof sole and a well protected heel and toe, and they have amazing traction in all conditions!
Pro Tip, screw several stainless round head screws into the heal and toe part of the soles and you will never wear the soles out! Works on most every hard type sole, especially the Vibram soles, and this also really aids wet/wintery traction to the point that you don't need add on ice cleats or crampons! unless you really want them! I can get around 10 years out of 2 pairs before they are too worn to wear comfortably, so, another $700 gets set aside for the next go around! Add up what you would spend every 10 years on Danners or other brand's and the cost works out less!

 

[Alexx1401]

Pro Tip, screw several stainless round head screws into the heal and toe part of the soles and you will never wear the soles out! Works on most every hard type sole, especially the Vibram soles, and this also really aids wet/wintery traction to the point that you don't need add on ice cleats or crampons! unless you really want them!

Had never heard of that but sounds like a great thing to try. Come this winter will certainly give it a shot. Have long used those Yak-Track deals here when we get ice. They are a PITA but worked. Will try a few stainless screws next winter.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Had never heard of that but sounds like a great thing to try. Come this winter will certainly give it a shot. Have long used those Yak-Track deals here when we get ice. They are a PITA but worked. Will try a few stainless screws next winter.

I find 5 screws around the edge of the toe, and 4 screws around the heel seem to work the best, just drive them in and go, when they wear out, pull them and replace with new, costs around $2.00 for a small baggy of screws at the local hardware store!

Try it, you'll never want anything else, Just don't wear them on a nice floor, especially hardwood!

 

[The Heretic]

Having worn caulks with spikes in them, yes, those can give you traction on soft surfaces like trees, ice/hard snow and such, but on rock, they make it slippery and noisy. Plus a store or a restaurant with wood or linoleum floors will ban you.

 

[No_Regerts]

 

[HaveGun]

Boots are like firearms; each has a specific function.

I have three pairs of boots for all my needs.

For spring and summer hiking, it is my Merrell leather/fabric/gore-tex boots. For fall/late fall, it is my Hi-Tec all leather boots. For winter, it's my Vasque leather/gore-tex/rubber boots. I probably have less in all my boots than one good quality pistol, yet they are essential gear.

I also wear merino wool socks year round. Great piece of equipment.

 

[HaveGun]

I did a ton of research on winter boots last year and finally bought a pair of Vasque Snowburban II Ultradry boots for about $100.

Oddly enough, our winter was so mild, I only got to wear them once or twice, but they were extremely comfortable. Surprisingly so. They replaced a pair of Columbia winter boots that were bulky and cumbersome. The Vasque were like driving a sports sedan compared to driving a full-sizes van in the Columbias.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

 

[Denton2015]

There are four things on your body that you are a priority to protect - in order to function halfway decently in a SHTF scenario:

1) Hands (by extension, arms)
2) Feet (by extension, legs)
3) Eyes
4) Ears

In this thread I want to share some of my thoughts and solicit some of yours of footwear.

Besides socks, shoes/boots are important. In almost any SHTF scenario, survivors need to be ambulatory (able to walk). To that end, a survivor needs footwear that will protect his/her feet, regardless of the environment (wet, cold, hot, rocky, glass and other things that might puncture footwear) and to be comfortable for long distances.

Over the decades I have tried a lot of different brands of footwear due to my jobs (manual and outdoors labor) and pastimes (hunting, hiking, etc.). I struggled with finding footwear (primarily boots) that were comfortable walking long distances and protected my feet. I tried many brands, such as Danner, etc. - typical consumer work boots. I've worn caulks (as a choker setter) and other purpose made work boots. I've worn XC ski boots, hiking boots, MX/Dual Sport boots.

I haven't worn every brand of work boots, but I have found most of what I call consumer work boots (Danner, Red Wing, etc.) to not work for me. The Danners I got were ill fitting and not waterproof as advertised. Others were made more for standing around on a work site, protecting your feet from impacts, etc., than tromping around in the woods, over rough terrain.

I found hiking boots, both domestic and foreign made to be more comfortable, usually more protective (except maybe where you needed steel toes, etc), and usually more resistant to water ingress, and warmer in the cold.

When I was younger, I seemed to have more problems with keep my feet dry and warm - primarily warm. Of course, keeping them dry helps keep your feet warm. Over the years my feet have grown from about size 10.5 in my twenties, to now (at 66) they are about 13.5-14. Not sure if that is due to weight gain or just normal or a little of both. But I have much less problems with keeping my feet warm.

Anyway, over the years I have had some boots that worked well - like Vasque and Keen. I used to be a believer in Merrell footwear, but the company was sold to Karhu and then Wolverine. Manufacturing was moved to Asia. Quality went down, and size 13 show would fit tight when a different size 13 shoe would fit loose. I discovered Keen - much of their footwear is made in Portland, OR with the materials/etc. coming from Asia. I like them, but they are not perfect.

I just got thru repairing some Merrell boots I wore while burning my slash piles; the heat from the piles melted the glue holding the sole to the upper, about a third of the sole, at the front, eventually came completely unglued - not surprising as this wasn't a work boot, more of a hiking boot. A lot of footwear today do not have soles that are stitched - instead they are glued to the upper. I bought some shoe goo and used that to reglue the soles, and to seal them up. We'll see how that works and holds up. I also used some of the Shoe Goo to try to water proof some of the boot at the front; from the outset, these "waterproof" boots were anything but waterproof. Anymore I try to not get boots that have any non-leather fabric exposed as that seems to be where water and dirt get into the boot.

I used to have a pair of Vasque Sundowner GTX boots I bought in Alaska - I loved those boots and wore them for about ten years almost every day, until they were falling apart - the last year or so held together by duct tape. I have a similar pair now.

My main complaint about these kinds of boots is that they are "mid-length" coming up to just above or even with my ankle. That is mostly ok until I get out in the grass/snow/etc. and then all kinds of crap gets into the boot at the top. Gaiters are the answer, but gaiters are inconvenient to use and while they work against snow/etc., most are not good when walking thru a creek.

Twenty years ago I grabbed a pair of hand me downs from my oldest son of all places . At that time he and I were about equal in weight and gait as well as shoe size . He had grown bored with his 180.00$ Doc Marterns and was set to throw them away . I know it's never idle to use a shoe that had already been imprinted by another's foot , but being a cheap bubblegum , wasn't going to watch the rather new pair of boots go to the dump . It took about four seatings for them to conform to my feet . I was totally impressed by their wearability , brute design and cost .
The model escapes me and I'm certain they are no longer the quality of twenty years past , but for six or seven years I never had an issue that the boot couldn't preform .

 

[oremike]

I've been happy with Lowa Renagade as a light hiking boot. My working/hunting boot is a Danner Fort Lewis. I started wearing those as a Park Ranger and once I found the right insoles and socks they have been great. I do have a pair of Redwings with an air bob sole for winter snow wear.

 

[308]

I wear alpine climbing boots almost exclusively! We were issued a cross climbing boot in the service that would work as a regular service boot as well as a jump boot, as we were expected to be able to go anywhere at any time, the climbing boots made the the only solution we could come up with! Having tried them all, we settled on Salewa boots, specifically the M2 Pro Vertical series, and now that they are discontinued, the Vulture series of Vertical boots! These are very well insulated, super stiff foot bed, and water proof to the ankle cuff. They also will outlast any other boot I have ever tried! I buy them in pairs ( at around $700 for 2 pairs) but they are well worth it for the performance! They are also very well armored, with a puncture proof sole and a well protected heel and toe, and they have amazing traction in all conditions!
Pro Tip, screw several stainless round head screws into the heal and toe part of the soles and you will never wear the soles out! Works on most every hard type sole, especially the Vibram soles, and this also really aids wet/wintery traction to the point that you don't need add on ice cleats or crampons! unless you really want them! I can get around 10 years out of 2 pairs before they are too worn to wear comfortably, so, another $700 gets set aside for the next go around! Add up what you would spend every 10 years on Danners or other brand's and the cost works out less!

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Those look nice, however, as for me that height boot will rub my skin raw even when wearing soft Smartwool or other soft wool socks. Cotton socks are worthless for me as well. Have you dealt with this issue at all?

 

[MannyGlocks]

Ya gotta look hard for boots not made in china.

All my favorites bailed out for there when they'd previously either been made in the U.S. or Italy.

As made in china, their quality has suffered, but I still bought them.

No longer.

U.S. made or another western country, never china for me ever again.

 

[Pete F]

You could always try Westco boots out of Scappose, OR. A friend of mine has his made to fit. They aren't cheap, but he swears by them. They also make off the shelf boots. My Grandson worked there for a while and liked it and the boots. The boots are made like tanks, but are very comfortable. He has trouble holding on to a job for any length of time, so I never got my discounted boots.

 

[Old Noob]

You could always try Westco boots out of Scappose, OR. A friend of mine has his made to fit. They aren't cheap, but he swears by them. They also make off the shelf boots. My Grandson worked there for a while and liked it and the boots. The boots are made like tanks, but are very comfortable. He has trouble holding on to a job for any length of time, so I never got my discounted boots.

+1 I have a few pair of Wesco boots and one pair of Wesco romeos. Best stuff you can buy and made here in Oregon USA!

 

[Defense Minister]

Ya gotta look hard for boots not made in china.

U.S. made or another western country, never china for me ever again.

^^^THIS!

When I went looking for my last pair of boots with this as a mandatory criteria, I discovered Zamberlain Boots from Italy. I landed on the 1013 Leopard GTX WL (WL is for Wide), but the 1014 Lynx Mid may work for you when you want something taller. They aren't cheap, but they're worth every penny! I've also noticed that a lot of the local sheriff's deputies are wearing black Zamberlains now for their duty boots, and I will never by anything else again!

 

[PDXdave67]

I've tried just about every work boot on the market and have landed with the Keen Pittsburgh for day to day work use.
I typically get 10-14 months out of them and happily replace them with the same damn thing.
The boots in my get home bag are Keens as well.
They simply work for my foot shape and seem to hold up well.

 

[PDXbiker]

A lot of footwear today do not have soles that are stitched - instead they are glued to the upper. I bought some shoe goo and used that to reglue the soles, and to seal them up. We'll see how that works and holds up.

I had the same thing happen on an older Vasque boot. Several miles down a rocky trail half the sole flopped off. Had it come completely off I would have been screwed getting back. I checked the other boot back at the trailhead and its sole also separated when pulled on. I believe this was an age issue with the glue used. I stuck them back on with shoe goo but only trust them for city walks now. I have been happy with the Danners I replaced them with.